Students, and Covid-19, are returning to campus

 

VOX

Around the US, college students are beginning to return to campus for the fall semester — and early signs suggest it’s not going well. Coronavirus cases appear to be climbing quickly, and some universities have already backtracked on reopening plans. [NYT / Amelia Nierenberg and Adam Pasick] As of Wednesday, the University of Notre Dame had at least 222 coronavirus cases on campus, just two weeks after the fall semester began. For context, that’s more than twice as many active cases as all of New Zealand. [Twitter / Rodger Sherman] It’s also more than three times the WHO-recommended test positivity rate for states — much less universities — to reopen. Notre Dame now plans to hold at least the next two weeks of classes online. [CBS News / Sophie Lewis] The University of North Carolina’s flagship Chapel Hill campus also abandoned its in-person reopening plan on Monday, announcing the switch to online-only learning after a surge in new cases. [CNBC / Will Feuer] Despite the pandemic risk, universities have a strong incentive to see students return to campus — the switch to online-only classes this fall is poised to do real damage to university budgets. [CNN / Leah Asmelash] They might not have much choice, though. Michigan State conceded on Tuesday that “despite our best efforts and strong planning, it is unlikely we can prevent widespread transmission of COVID-19” on campus, and more schools could reach the same conclusion before long. [US News / Lauren Camera]